Summary, Warnings, and Disclaimer: /sighs/ And, at last, comes the first signs of child abuse. /sighs again/ I suppose it had to show up somewhere… Why can't I write an HP story without Harry being abused?!

"For there is such a thing as a broken spirit."


-William Godwin

Gentle sunlight tumbled through the uncovered window, pooling like golden silk onto the hardwood floor. Slowly, as the hours passed, that fair lake swam across the room, eventually coming to rest on the closed eyelids of the room's sleeping occupant.

Reluctantly, Duo hauled one eye open, glaring blearily at the room in general, though he reserved as especial glare for the pane of glass that had let his tormenter enter. "Fuckin' traitor," he muttered, suppressing a yawn as he sat up. Stumbling only once on the way to the window, he yanked the curtains shut, blocking out the sun.

Stretching his arms above his head, the teenager turned back to the room at large. Still half-asleep, he sank back down to the bed, and rubbed his hands over his eyes in a mostly futile attempt to wake himself up.

Duo had leaned down and was pulling open his duffel when he suddenly stopped, his subconscious screaming that something was different. As he looked around, wildly, he could have sworn someone was watching him…

And then, as suddenly as the feeling had come, it vanished. What the hell…?! Duo wondered, still staring at the empty room. That had never happened before! If there was one thing the former street rat had learned to count on, it was his instincts. And as far as he knew, they'd never been wrong… okay, maybe that once when he shot Heero to protect Relena, of all people, but still…

But the room was empty. There was no getting around that.

Frowning, Duo leaned back against the headboard, unconsciously fingering the knife that had appeared in his hand like magic. After a couple of minutes, when nothing more out of the ordinary happened, he sighed and bent back down to his duffel, pulling out a fresh change of clothes.

It wasn't until he'd changed, and re-braided his hair, that Duo realized what must have set off the warning bells. The light was off, when he knew he'd gone to sleep without shutting it off.

Quat must've turned it off while I was asleep, he mused fondly. Containing another yawn in his hand, Duo stood up, and paused as the heavenly scent of what could only be breakfast reached his nose.

With no qualm whatsoever, the teenager followed the compelling orders of his stomach out the bedroom door.

The merry sound of rattling cookware filled the kitchen as Quatre labored over breakfast. Not that he minded. He rather enjoyed cooking, in fact. There was really nothing more satisfying than creating a beautiful (in more ways than one) work of art, and then to have others enjoy it to the fullest.

He was checking the omelettes in the pan when abruptly he cried out, one hand going to his heart as his face twisted in pain. Waves of sorrow and guilt rolled over the boy, and he clung desperately to consciousness, to keep his own mind, but the emotions were so strong…

Then the Arabian staggered as the flood passed, bracing himself with a hand against the counter. He was barely aware of the tears streaming down his face as he looked around at the empty kitchen. "Allah, what in the world was that?" he gasped breathlessly.

It was at that moment that Duo peeked around the kitchen door. "Well, something smells good…" He stopped as he saw Quatre's face. "Quat? What's wrong?"

The blonde glanced around again, but nothing had changed. He couldn't tell Duo the truth- he couldn't stand the possibility of one of his few true friends believing he was insane… again. "Oh, it's just the onions." Quatre waved a hand at the cutting board on the counter, where fortunately he had been chopping onions for the omelettes.

Ignoring the American's skeptical expression, Quatre reached for a dishtowel and dried his face. By the time he lifted the towel away, he was able to paste on a fake, cheery smile. "There. That's much better."

Duo still seemed a bit doubtful, but was willing to go along with it. Grateful, Quatre ran with the opening. "Now, come on. Breakfast is almost ready."

It was a good half hour later, as Duo was cleaning up the empty dishes, that the blonde glanced up at the clock and realized what time it was. "Duo?" he asked, as the braided boy carefully washed the last of the plates and set it in the rack to dry, "What are you doing up so early? Voluntarily, as well?"

Duo blinked at him for a moment, and then shrugged. "I actually got a decent night's sleep for once, that's all. Amazin' what the right bed'll do." He smirked at the puzzled look on the Arabian's face. "Don't worry about it, Q."

He turned to leave, pausing for an instant at the door. "Oh, and Quat? Thanks for turning off the light last night." With that, he was gone.

It was another few seconds before Quatre realized what was wrong with that statement. "But I didn't turn off the light," he murmured in confusion.

The boy hugged his knees to his chest as tightly as he could in the darkness that was his cupboard. Its tight confines no longer bothered him- they had ceased to be able to hold him years ago.

And as for the darkness… when there was so rarely a light, how could you fear the dark?

The boy was curled up on the cot that was once his, trying his best to stop shaking from reaction. He hadn't meant to hurt the child…

He'd panicked, plain and simple. He never expected the first boy, the one sleeping in his old room, to sense his presence. Not when he had gone so long unnoticed. The periodic swarms of scientists never had, even when he tried to make them see.

None ever did.

Muggles can't see ghosts.

The spirit's head came up as a long-forgotten hope rang through him, remembering how first one boy, then the other, had known he was there. Maybe…

He shook his head to make his thoughts slow down, rubbing a transparent hand over once-green eyes. Careful. He had to be careful. They might not be the kind of people he wanted to reveal himself to, even if he was slowly, steadily going insane from the loneliness, and the not-knowing…

He needed to watch them for a bit, first. Make sure they weren't monsters wearing human faces, like his family had been.

Then he'd decide.

A/N: /sighs/ Yep. Here I am, continuing my tradition of short-chaptered GW/HPs. Well, at least I managed to keep this one from ossifying totally…

/growls/ You know you were supposed to be working on the other one. Or failing that, at least on Know Thyself.

Yeah, yeah. Snark at me some more when I'm not half-asleep, please. It'll have a much greater affect, I promise you.

Ah, and in response to several reviews, yes, this will be a Duo/Harry story. As for how that's possible, considering Harry's a ghost… Honestly, people these days. It ain't all about sex, yanno! /smirks/ And besides, who said he's going to stay that way?

Review Responses:

Our thanks to: bells, Cor-chan, Firehedgehog, and Minako Nine.

Akua: /blinks/ That's insightful of you. He isn't technically a ghost, he's a poltergeist. I wasn't expecting to mention that for at least a couple more chapters.

curlz kitsune: Duo won't meet Harry for a few more chapters.

curlz-kitsune: You're probably the same person, but just in case… /shrugs and grins/ Who said I wouldn't enjoy the carrying out of that little threat?

Ghost Whisper: /beams/ My favorite compliment.

Kanri Koneko (Kitty) Sage: The G-Boys, or at least all the G-Boys, won't find out for a good long while.

Kenny7: /grins/ Join the club. Neither have I. I never even heard of it before being introduced to

Mithros: /laughs/ I'll agree with the rambling… Though, since when has Harry ever been well-adjusted in one of my stories?

mystic-Hoshi: Yes, 'hoshi' means 'star'.

Rav Rev: 1) Harry.

2) Later.

3) No. He won't need to.

4) see 1.

5) Neither, actually. He isn't evil, of course, but there isn't much he can do against it without help.

6) /snickers/ Ooh, mental image. I'll have to consider that one…

simpleinsanity: /is laughing/ Sorry, can't help you there. It wasn't really meant to be creepy, though it is supernatural, so I suppose…

Read and Review, and all that crap… Scuse me, my pillow's calling…

/snorts/ Don't mind her, she's just a bit woozy. /calls after her/ Told you ya should have taken a nap in Physics!

17 September 2004